Portable desk



E. A. HENfilCSdN Oct. 3, 1933.

PORTABLE DESK Filed Feb. 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Oct. 3, 1933. E. A. HENRICSON PORTABLE DESK Filed Feb. 19. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a. 3, 1933 1 UNITED STATES PATENT ornce Claims.

My invention relatesto desks which may be transportedin collapsed form from place to place, yetopened wherever needed for use to serve fully as the conventional ofilce desk, and my main obl ject is to design a desk of this type which collapses so compactly that it may be transported in the back of the ordinary automobile or stored in a closet or corner when not needed for use.

. A further objector the invention is to con- 7 10 struct the novel desk on the principle of an exsign a novel assembly of boards combining to form the table portion of the desk, the assembly being designed to olfer the largest possible top area for the desk.

A significant object of the invention is to construct the novel desk on self-contained lines, whereby to have the same in the form of a closed box to which access for the extension of the desk can only be had by applying a key to a frontal lock. 7

A final but nevertheless important object of the invention is to employ parts of a simple and sturdy character in making up the desk,'whereb to renderthe same strong and light.

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure. 1 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the novel desk in collapsed or portable form;'

Fig. 2 isa perspective view showing the desk extended, dotted lines showing forward movements taken by certain parts;

Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the novel desk as fully laid out in position for use;

Fig. 4 is a broken section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4a is a section on the line la-4a of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional detail occurringin the extension mechanism;

Figs. 6 and '7 are, respectively, sections on the lines 6-6 and 'l--'7 of Figure 3; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation of an internal lock. Referring specifically to the drawings, the

foundation for thenovel desk consists in a baseboard 10 having a back wall 11 extending the full height of the desk. The baseboard 10 and the wall 11 are only of a length corresponding to the collapsed width of the deskand they are located centrally relative to the extending operation thereof;

The baseboard 10 is adapted to support two enclosures, which are closely grouped when the desk is collapsed but are slidable outwardly, that is, in the directions of the ends of the baseboard, when to be extended relative to the latter. 'The enclosures'are built fundamentally'upon bottom boards 12 and'12a, respectively, these receiving end boards 13 and 13a rising to the full height of thedesk, and the end boards 13 and 13a having inwardly directed top boards 14 and 14a. From these, back boards 15 and 15a depend, the back board 15 extending fully to the bottomboard 12; Inside the top boards and end boards are provided pigeon-hole units 16 and 16a, and at tableheight the same boards receive horizontal insets '7 and 170, the back board 15a only extending as far down as its inset 17a.

The upper portions of the enclosuresare adapted to be closed by frontal panels 18 and 18a which are hinged at the bottom to the insets I7 and 17a as indicated at 19. The top boards 14 and 14a areextended somewhat forwardly to overlie the panels 18 and 18a when these are closed, whereby to make a flush joint. Spring catches 20 are provided in the top edges of the panels 18 and 18a to cooperate with proper receptacles in the extended .portionsof the top boards 14 and14a whereby to hold the panels when they are closed; and a key lock 21 is applied to the panel 18 to lock the same in closed position relative to its unit.

Below the panels 18 and 18a doors 22 and 22a are hinged at the sides to the forward edges of the end boards 13 and 13a, the hinges being, of course, concealed in order to make the installation neat. The panels 18 and 18a are adapted to swing forward to a horizontal position, level with the insets 17 and 17a, as clearly shown in Figure 3; and the doors 22 are of such a height as to also be level or practically so with the top surface of the insets and panels. 7

Inside the door 22 the corresponding enclosure is made with an inner wall 23 and shelf boards 24. between the latter and the end board 13,- these serving for the storage of books, samples and other articles of a bulky nature. On the opposite side, however, it is seen that the door 22a is formed with a baseboard 12b and an inner wall 23a of its own, this assembly being completed at a the top by a top board 24a and braces 241) therebottom drawer,

is intended for lighter and shiftable materials, I

for. Between the top board 24a and the bottom board 121), the door assembly carries a set of drawers 25a and 25b, the upper drawers being of regulation depth and the bottom one 25b considerably shallower. The space between the extended panel 18a and the top board 24a is of such height as to make it possible to insert the bottom drawer 25b asindicated by dotted lines in Figure 3 when the desk is extended, whereby to have the contents of the bottom drawer handy at the top and save the necessity of stooping to reach the Needless to say, the drawer set such as stationery, writing accessories, correspondence, etc. I

When the door 22a is'in closed position, its wall 23a lies opposite the back'w'all 11 of the foundation, and the, drawer front is in sufliciently; close proximity to the inner wall 23 of the shelf assembly on the opposite'side to afford the application of a locking device at the topto lock the door 22a to such shelf assembly and'thus prevent the operation of the enclosures. The locking device just referred to is indicated inFigure 3,and comprises a base 'fixture 26 mounted on the topboard 24a and having pivoted to it at 26a 9. horizontally swingable hook 2'7. The top shelf 24 receives a keeper 28 of anarcuate form and whichis engaged by the-swinging of the hook 27 in the manner of a cam to firmly draw the enclosures together. While'this style of locking device is being shown as preferable, any other suitable form of a locking device may beused if found of advantage,-

' person from extending the desk in one or the other direction whereby to secure sufficient access to the drawers 25a and 25b for the removal of important and perhaps valuable papers or articles that may be kept therein.

"The combination of the insets- 17 and 17a with'the extended panels 18 and 18a constitute a portion of the desk table, and I provide an intermediate table board 30 which is adapted to complete the table as'shown in'Figure 3. When the desk is in collapsed form, thetable board 30 is in a vertical position inside the back wall 11, resting upon a frontal support or cross bar, 31 secured to thelatter. Near itsupper end .the table board 30 has a finger cavity 30a which may be used to lift the board to such a height that it may be'swung forwardly to the horizontal position indicated in Figure 3; In this position, the table board receives its frontal support by being notched from underneath as indicatedat 33 in itsside edges (see Figure '7) the notched portions receiving frontal rests-or pins 34 and 34a carried by theinner edges of the panels 18 and 18a, so that these pins support the table board as mentioned.- Supporting means for this'boardi at its rear end will be'treated in a later section, but it may beaddednow that the pins 34 and 34a are staggered longitudinally of the edgesv from which they project to clear each other when theencl'osures are gathered, these being drilled with holes 35 and 35a opposite the corresponding pins to receivethe same, and the table board -site ofthe supporting bar 31.

notches 33 being long enough to clear both pins when the table board is lowered. To facilitate the proper travel of the table board, it is equipped near the bottom with outstanding edge studs 301) which enter vertical slots 300 in metal strips 300! carried by the facing sides of moldings 11a glued or otherwise secured on the back wall 11 alongside the path of the table board, as indicated in Fig. 4a. The bottom of the table board 30 is rounded as indicated at 306 in Figure 4 so that it may readily clear the wall 11 and a table cover 2 inside the latter when the table board is swung as indicated by dotted lines to assume the position of use. The moldings 11a and the table cover extend from the upper end of the wall 11 to the The table cover 32 is in the nature of the ordinary desk blotter as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, and its dimensions are calculated so that its vertical length as located behind the table board 30 in Figure 2 is sufiicient'to cover the desk table over its main portion from one side to the other, thus rendering the desk table as smooth and firm as that of an. ordinary desk. o

For the purpose of operating the enclosures on a firm basis whereby to maintain the-units of the desk in proper alinement and relation when the desk is both collapsed and extended, I make use of the familiar slide rail assembly employed in extension tables, employing a medial extension rail 36 as the stationary one and front and back rails 37 and .3711. as slidable ones relative. to-the rail 36, the rails being grouped in dove-tailed relation' as indicated at 38. Thestationary rail .36 is firmly secured to the back wall .11 by angle brackets 39, clearly shown in Figure 5, while the extension rails 37 and 37a are bolted or glued from underneath to the insets 17 and 17a. The

assembly of the rails is thus even with the under side of the desk table, and being in proximity to the rear wall 11 forms a firm support for the rear portion of the table board 30 when the latter is in horizontal position.

The end wall 13a of the corresponding enclosure carries a fixture plate 40 on the inside in the vicinity of the slide rail assembly, a metal rod 41 extending from the fixture plate to a position along the forward face of the rail 37. Here the rod is threaded to pass loosely through an eye 42 and then receive a nut-43, the eye being carried by the rail 37. When the enclosures are separated to extend the desk, the eye 42 forms an abutment for the nut .43 to limit the extent of the separating movement; and the nut may be adjusted upon the rod toa position consistent In the form shown in Figure 1, the novel desk is of such a heightas to be swung to. a horizontal position on one of the end walls 13 or 13a and easily fit between the side walls of an automobile body rearwardly of the front seat. In such position, the desk will not. behigh, and will be'sufliciently narrow to afford ample leg room for the passengers in the rear seat. The desk is thus compactly carried and is ofparticular use to salesmen, agents, demonstrators and other travelers who mustdo more or less writing, bookkeeping and other clerical work at each stop, and so require the use of a desk. For facility in loading or unloading the desk from the automobile,- or otherwise transporting the desk from one point to another, I provide one of its ends with carrying handles .44. When the desk is stood up in collapsed form as shown in Figure 1, I render its movement and extension on a floor easy by fitting its bottom with a number of round-headed tacks 45.

'When the desk is to be extended from the collapsed form of Figure l, the key is applied to the lock to secure the opening of the door 22. It will here be noted that the doors 22 and 22a are in edgewise contact withlthe collapsed panels 18 and 18a so that the latter cannot be swung forward until the doors have been opened wide. Now, with the door 22 open, the panel 18 may be unlocked and swung forward. The lock 2'7 within is next released, and the desk unit separated by spreading the insets 17 and 17a with the hands 22a is now opened wide and the panel 18a unclasped and swung forward. It may here be noted that the doors carry inward studs 46 near the top to afford frontal rests for the panels 18 and 18a and that the'doors are connected to the under side of the insets 17 and 17a by folding links 47 which prevent the outward swing of the doors beyond the forward position shown in Figure 3. Now the table board is lifted to the top limit of its travel and swung forward as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 to assume the table position of Figure 3. The desk is now full-sized in width and depth, and its pigeon-holes, shelves and drawers are as fully accessible as those of the standard desk, enabling the user to arrange the articles carried in the desk in the proper places and handy for use or access.

In order to facilitate the easy travel of the bottom boards 12 and 12a of the enclosures upon the base board 10, I fit the bottom boards with rounded pins 48, as shown in Figure 6, for a minimum. of frictional contact upon the baseboard; and the said bottom boards are also grooved as indicated at 49in the extending direction to receive guide studs 50 upstanding from the baseboard. The proper and easy travel'of the extensions at the bottom is thus assured. The spacing between the parts 12a and 10 in Figure 6 has been exaggerated for purposes of clarity, but it will be understood that in actual practice these boards will be but veryslightly spaced in order topreclude the possibility of rattling or uneven relative motion therebetween.

It will be noted that when the desk is closed the pins 34 and 34a serve to lock the panels 18 and 18a in alinement in the manner of the boards of an extension table; and for the same reason I have projected a pin 14b from the inner edge of e the top board 14a for cooperation with a hole 14c in the top board 14, these expedients serving to hold the desk in firm condition when collapsed.

It will be seen that I have provided a desk which is sufficiently compact to be easily portable, and

a yet so widely extensible as to afford full capacity for use and easy access and comfort for the user, being of standard height and having a maximum amount of internal clearance when the .user sits close to the desk. The novel desk may be constructed of wood which is light, yet strong, making it relatively inexpensive to produce. Obviously, where strength or fitting'precision is found necessary, various expedients may be employed which are well known in the cabinet making and 70 metal fitting arts to lend the article the best construction possible.

I claim:

1. A portable desk comprising a base, a back erected on the latter, enclosures grouped upon the base in front of said back and separable in lateral directions to terminally supplement the base the doors have been swung clear of them. until the separating limit is reached. The door 3. The structure of claim 2 and stops carried by the doors to rest thepanels when these have swung to horizontal position.

4. A portable desk comprising a base, a back erected on the latter, complementary enclosures grouped on the base in front of the back, a horizontal rail spacedly supported from the back,

companion rails directed from the respective enerected on the latter, complementary enclosures grouped on the base in front of the back, a hori- 1 zontal rail spacedly supported from the back, companion rails directed from the respective enclosures in sliding relation with the first-mentioned rail, and dovetailed interlocking means between the contiguous faces of the rails to retain the companion rails to said first-mentioned rail.

6. A portable desk comprising a base, a back erected on the latter, complementary enclosures grouped on the base in front of the back, a frontal rest mounted on the back, a table board vertically disposed between the latter and the enclosures and supported on said rest, frontal panels carried by the enclosures and forwardly swingable to horizontal position, and stops projecting inwardly from the panels, said table board being swingable forward to a position even with the panels as swung, and said stops then serving as frontal supports for the table board.

7. The structure of claim 6, and connecting rails carried at the rear by the enclosures, said rail serving as rear supports for the table board when the latter has assumed horizontal position.

8. A portable desk enclosure comprising a base, a back erected on the latter, complementary enclosures grouped on the base in front of the back, a frontal rest mounted on the back, a table board vertically disposed between the latter and the enclosures and supported on said rest, said table board having frontal recesses at the sides, frontal panels carried by the enclosures and forwardly swingable to horizontal position, and stops projecting inwardly from the panels, said table board being swingable. forward to a position even with the panels asswung, and said stops then seating in said table board recesses and serving as frontal supports for the table board.

9. A portable desk comprising a base, a back erected on the latter,'complementary enclosures grouped on thebase in front of the back, frontal panels carried by the enclosures and swingable from the latter, the contiguous edges of the panels being made with longitudinally-staggered bores, and correspondingly-located dowel pins extended from said edges to fit said bores whereby to lock the panels in alinement.

,10. A portable desk comprising abase, a baok erected on the latter, complementaryenclosures grouped on the base in front of the back, a frontal rest mounted on the back, 'a'tableboard vertically disposed between the'latter and the enclosures and supported on said rest, moldings car-V ried by the back alongside the side edges of the table board and longitudinally grooved, side pins oarried by the tableboard and seating in said grooves to guide the table board for vertical travel frontal panels carried by the enclosures and forwardly swingable to horizontal position,

and stops projecting inwardly from the panels, 

